Trump is expected to name a new CDC head. 'We don't need a TV personality,' one expert said. [View all]

Source: NBC News

March 24, 2026, 5:39 PM EDT


As the Trump administration prepares to nominate a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insiders say they worry the nominee will only further undermine trust in the nation’s top health agency, even as outbreaks of measles escalate and the federal government’s vaccine policies face resistance.

President Donald Trump is expected to name the candidate on Truth Social by Wednesday. If confirmed by the Senate, the director will inherit an agency marked by the yearlong chaos of mass layoffs, a deadly shooting and hollowed-out leadership. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the CDC’s current acting director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, have long been critical of the CDC, largely focusing on Covid missteps, but haven’t offered ways to support or strengthen the agency, CDC staffers said.

“I don’t disagree with the thought that we’ve lost a lot of trust, but I think it falls a little flat for leaders to ask us to rebuild trust,” one senior official said. “It’s a two-way street.” The person asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. “They keep saying over and over again that CDC has a lot of work to do to earn back the public’s trust,” said another scientist who also asked not to be identified. “I don’t think blaming the civil service employee is the way to fix that.”

The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services have been mum on potential nominees. The Washington Post reported that Mississippi health director Dr. Daniel Edney is on a short list of names.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-cdc-director-nominate-vaccination-measles-rcna261938